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National Harbor

Waterfront Development on the Potomac River

By Rachel Cooper, About.com

Rendering of National Harbor at Night

© National Harbor
National Harbor is a new 300-acre waterfront destination in the Washington, DC area that opened in the spring of 2008. Set along a prime spot on the Potomac River, National Harbor, a $2.1 billion mixed-use community built by the Peterson Companies, includes hotels, restaurants, retail stores, condominiums, a full-service marina, a convention center, and commercial office space. The cornerstone of the development of National Harbor is the new Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center, said to be the largest non-gaming hotel and convention center on the East Coast. Plans are also underway to build the National Children’s Museum on this site.

National Harbor Location and Accessibility

National Harbor is located in Prince George's County, Maryland on the Potomac River, just minutes from Washington, DC. The site is accessible from I-95/I-495, I-295, the new Woodrow Wilson Bridge, and by water taxi from Washington, DC, Old Town Alexandria, Mount Vernon, and Georgetown. See a map of National Harbor

Parking: National Harbor has three public parking garages with convenient Pay-on-Foot machines. Rates begin at $2 for the first hour and reach a daily maximum of $10.
  • Fleet Garage: Entrance located on Fleet Street
  • Mariner Garage: Entrance located on Mariner Passage
  • St. George Garage: Entrance located on St. George Blvd

Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center

The Gaylord is a world-class resort hotel featuring 2,000 guestrooms, flexible meeting and banquet facilities, 6 restaurants, a nightclub, retail shopping, a full service spa and fitness center, indoor/outdoor swimming pool and outdoor event space. The resort covers 41.7 acres and has spectacular views of the Potomac River and Old Town Alexandria. Read more about the Gaylord National Resort.

Additional National Harbor Hotels

National Harbor Restaurants

The following restaurants are open as of February 2009:

National Harbor Pier

  • Water Taxi Service - Transportation will be available to and from Old Town Alexandria, Mount Vernon, and Georgetown. Future routes will include Reagan National Airport and The Washington National’s Baseball Stadium.

  • Cruises - Lunch and Dinner cruises and a high speed fun cruise will depart from National Harbor.

  • Private Slips – The 700 ft. long Pier & Marina will accommodate some of the largest pleasure craft on the Potomac.

  • Recreation - boating, fishing, jet skiing and more

Annual Events at National Harbor

Official Website

www.nationalharbor.com

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